Former Sri Lanka head coach Mickey Arthur has denied claims made by chief selector Pramodya Wickramasinghe that he did not want to include opener Pathum Nissanka in the national squad for the 2021 Caribbean tour.
Speaking to ‘Telecom Asia Sport’, Arthur said he was “very disappointed” by Wickramasinghe’s comments and that they were untrue.
“The right people know exactly how I felt about Pathum. There was never any doubt that he was our future,” Arthur said, strongly rejecting the chief selector’s claim.
Pramodaya Wickramasinghe, who was recently reappointed as the chief selector, had earlier said that he had to pressure Pathum Nissanka to be included, and that the then head coach was hesitant to include Pathum in the team, and that he personally took responsibility for his selection.
Pathum Nissanka’s selection was based solely on playing style and ability, and that he chose him based on his domestic scoring record at the time.
However, Arthur downplays his personal involvement in Pathum’s development, while expressing his delight at his own dedication and discipline, and attributes Pathum’s success to his own dedication and discipline.
“I don’t want any credit for Pathum’s success. It’s entirely down to his hard work,” he says.
Pathum Nissanka scored a century on his Test debut in the West Indies, and then a century at The Oval in England.
He made history by becoming the first Sri Lankan to score a double century in One Day Internationals.
He is currently ranked among the world’s top T20 international batsmen.
Mickey Arthur, who is the coach of the Derbyshire county team and has left the Sri Lanka Cricket Board, says his coaching method has always been to identify young players correctly and give them sustainable opportunities at the highest level.
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